Electrical vacuum cleaner



April 18, 1933. A. 'rowNsr-:ND

ELECTRICAL VAQUUM CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 2. 1929 /l/l/l/l. lll/f. il

l April 18,1933- A A. TowNsEND A 1,903,855

ELECTRICAL VACUUM CLEANER Filed oct. 2. A1929 y 2 sheets-shet 2 Patented pr. 18, 1933 UNITED STATES Aisaiasi; y

PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL VACUUH CLEANER Application filed October 2, 1929, Serial No. 396,864', and in Australia February 25, 1929.

This invention relates to electrical vacuum cleaners of the type wherein an electric motor and a fan driven thereby are fitted Within a housing mounted on wheels, the fan chamber being formed for the attachment of any one of a n umber of interchangeable suction nozzles or fittings, said fan chamber being also formed with an outlet aperture to which is fitted the neck of a dust-receiving bag or the like. In a machine of this type there is .isually a wide/downwardly directed nozzle employed in the cleaning of floor coverings with the surface of which the nozzleis in close proximity.

Various shortcomings are found in such cleaners hitherto known, the rincipal of which are that diiculty is experienced in adjusting the motor owing to the inaccessibility caused by a closed housing, and the noise and vibration and the possibility of electrical shocks to the user caused by the rigid and noninsulating means by which the m0- tor is mounted in the housing. Moreover it is al matter of some difliculty to adjust the suction pipe in relation to the surface to be cleaned.

The objects of the invention are: (a) simplicity and economy in construction and facility of assembly and of access to the motor; (b) the easy replacement of a faulty motor by a. sound motor and the maintenance of the cleaner in service whilst the faulty motor is being repaired; (c) reduction of the noise and vibration produced by the rapidly rotating fan and motor armature; (d) complete electrical insulation of the motor from 'the housing;

With these objects the invention consists in a vacuum cleaner of the type employing a fan 'driven by an electricv motor comprising a motor housing formed in two longitudinal complementary and mutually attachable and detachable sec-tions and in which the motor is held in place within the casing by thick pillows of rubber which are clamped on to the motor to securely grip and cushion it whenthe two sections of the housing are clamped together.

In addition to the motor housing itself being formed in two sections, the whole casing y(including the fan housing) may be formed in this way to permit the insertion of the motor with the fan assembled thereon.

The line of division of the housing is preferably central and horizontal, but any longitudinally divided housing affording ready access to the motor is within the scope of the invention. i

In order to more fully describe and ascertain the invention reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings which depict a preferred form thereof and in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the cleaner with portion of the handle broken away,

Fig. 2 a longitudinal-sectional elevation 65 thereof,

Fig. 3 a cross-sectional elevation thereof approximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 a fragmentary cross-sectional eleva- 70 tion approximately on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

The same reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings. J

The vacuum clea'ner includes a substan- 75 tially cylindrical housing comprising a longitudinal lower section l and a superposed longitudinal upper section 2, the plane of juncture of the two sections being horizontal and central of the housing. rI`he housing formed of the two sections comprises a motor chamber 3 the rear end of which is rounded as at 4, and the lower and upper sections are provided with registering external lugs 5 and 6 respectively. At the 85 forward 'end of the motor chamber 3 the housing is provided with a transverse inwardly projecting flange .formed by the superposition of a semicircular -flange 7 in the lower section l and a registering semicicular frange 8 in the upper section 2, an aperture 9 in the flange being formed centrally of the housing.

Forwardly of the ange the housing is formed to constitute an annular fan chamber l0 formed by an annular enlargement l1 of the lower.A portion of the housing and a registering annular enlargement 12 of the upper portion thereof; forwardly of the fan chamber 10 the housing is reduced and m04 formed with a central longitudinal inner cylindrical portion 13 opening into the fan chamber 10 and having a transverse annulus 14 which registers with the upper end of a suction nozzle 15 formed on the lower section 1 of the casing. The suction nozzle is of conventional design and is supported b two rollers 16, 16 mounted invlugs 17, 17 formed on either side of the nozzle.

The enlargement 11 of the lower section is extended on one side to form a delivery chute 18 from the fan chamber, the chute having an upwardly directed neck 19 formed for attachment of a dust bag (not shown) of known type.

The forward end of the cleaner is supported upon the rollers 16 and the rear end is supported upon a roller 20 which is mounted in a fork 21 rotatably carried at its upper end, as at 22, in one end of an arm 23 the other end of which is forked and pivoted to a lug 24 formed on section 1 of the housing, the arm being capable of pivotal movement in a vertical plane. The upper edge of the arm is curved and is provided with teeth 25 one of which is engaged by the free end of a pawl 26 formed with a fork 27 at its other and upper end, which fork is pivoted to the housing by a pin 28 mounted in a bearing 281 formed half in each of the lugs 5 and 6 at their point of juncture. A spring 29, secured at onev end to a lug 30 formed on section 1 of the housing, and at the other end to the arm, urges the latter into engagement with the pawl. By .alteration of the setting of the pawl 26 in teeth 25 adjustment of the rear end of the housing in relation to the ground is effected and consequent inverse adjustment of the lower end of the suction nozzle results, as the housing as a whole pivots about the common axis of vrollers 16, 16.

The upper section 2 and the lower section 1 of the housing are held in superposition by means of a set screw 31 passing through lug 6 .and tapped into lug 5, a set screw 32 passing through a lug 33 formed on the outer surface of the annular enlargement 12 of section 2 and tapped into the upper wall of chute 18 (Figs. 1 and 3), and by a set screw 34 passing through a lug 35 on the other side of enlargement 12, and tapped into a registering lug 36 formed on the corresponding enlargement 11 of section 1 of the housing (Fig. 3).

The cylindrical portion 13 of the housin is for the reception of a tube or sleeve 3g (shown dotted in Fig. 2 as it forms no part of the invention) of a flexible hose or the like for use with other cleaning devices, the sleeve having a neat sliding fit in the cylindrical portion 13 and when in functional position cutting ofi' the suction nozzle 15 from the fan chamber. When such a hose is not in use, a circular cover plate 38 pivoted by a set screw 39 to a lug 40 formed on section 2 is clamped over the forward end of the cylindrical portion 13, the cover plate being swung to the position shown dotted in Fig. 2 when the sleeve is to be inserted.

A single-phase motor 41 of conventional type (shown dotted in Figs. 2 and 3) is mounted Within the motor chamber 3 by means of a rubber pad 42 secured in the base of section 1, and a similar pad 43 secured in the upper portion of section 2 of the housing. Each of the pads 42 and 43 is substantially a semicylinder the flat portion of which lies against the housing, where it is tightly held between a pair of parallel longitudinal ribs designated 44, 44 in the upper section and 45, 45 in the lower section of the housing (Fig.

The pads are of such length that they fit neatly between the shoulders 46, 46 of the motor casing, and their inwardly projecting curved surfaces are shaped to fit neatly into the semicircular longitudinal recesses formed in the top and bottom of the field-structure laminations 47 of the motor.

The forward neck bearing 48 of the motor casing fits tightly into and is supported by a rubber sleeve 49 securely positioned in the aperture 9, flanges 50 on the sleeve being provided to grip the edges of the aperture and prevent movement.

Thus the motor is securely and resiliently supported by the pads 42 and 43 and the sleeve 49; rotation is prevented by the engagement of the pads with the recesses in the field structure, and longitudinal displacement is prevented by engagement of the pads with the shoulders 46, 46; also the vibration of the motor transmitted to the housing is minimized, and electrical insulation (with elimination of the risk of electrical shocks to the user of the cleaner) is ensured by the rubber mounting employed.

The spindle 51 of the motor projects into the fan housing 10 wherein a fan 52 (shown dotted in Fig. 2) is mounted upon it in known manner. To minimize the noise of the fan a lining 53 of cork is provided in the fan chamber 10.

Access and exit of cooling air to the motor chamber 3 are permitted by apertures 54, 54 in the upper section and corresponding apertures 55, 55 in the lower section of the housing, and the electrical leads to the motor are taken through an aperture 56 formed in the housing at the junction of the upper and lower sections thereof.

A handle 57 provided with the conventional curved arms 58 and 581 is secured to the housing by means of trunnion pins 59 and 591 on the arms which lit respectively into apertures 60 and 61 formed through opposite sides of the housing on the line of junction of the upper and lower sections thereof, the arms and the handle being urged to an up- CTI right position, where arm 58 contacts with a stop 62 formed on section 2 of the housing, by means of sprin 63 and 64 about pins 59 and 591 respectlvely, each s ring being` 'secured at one end to the housing as at 65 (Fig. 1) and at its other end engaging behind the/ arm.

The surfaces of contact of the upperand lower sections of the housing are faced only, and the formation of aperture 56 and bear ings 281, 60 and 61, partially in the upper and partially in tlie lower section, eliminates the necessity7 for drilling at these points o1' the use of cores in casting.

` A cleaner as herein described is economical in manufacture, as the housing comprises two simple castings having planar meeting surfaces which merely require to be cleaned up, and the mutual attachmentl of the two parts, of the housing is eiiected by three ordinary screws.

The assembly is a simple operation: the rubber sleeve 49 is fitted on the neck of the motor housing, the pads 42 and 43 inserted respectively in the lower and upper sections of the housing; the motor placed in position in the lower section, and the upper section secured thereon as described, the pads 42 and 43 being formed and shaped to ti htly grip the motor, which is thus securely eld. Accessibility as regards the motor is 'a feature of the construction.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l 1. In an electrical vacuum lcleaner of the type employing a fan driven by an electric d motor, the combination of a motor housing formed in two longitudinal complementary and mutually attachable and detachable sections clamped together, a motor removable as a complete unit from the housing, and means for supporting the motor within the housing comprising compression pillows of insulating material, contacting with the interior of the housing at points removed from the line of juncture of sections thereof, and compressed against the motor by the closure of the two sections to clamp the motor in place within the housing.

2. In an electrical vacuum cleaner of the type employing a fan driven by an electric motor, the combination of separated motor and fan housings formed in two longitudinal complementary sections releasably clamped together centrally of the housing, a motor removable as a complete unit from the housing, and means for supporting the motor within the housing comprising rubber compression pillows contactmg with the interior of the housing at points removed from the line of juncture of the sections thereof, and compressed against the motor by closure of the two sections to clamp the f motor in place within the housing.

3. In an electrical vacuum cleaner of the type em loying a fan driven by an electric motor, t e combination of separated motor and fan housings formed in two longitudinal complementary sections releasably clamped together centrally of the housing, a motor removable as a complete unit from the housing and resilient means, forming the sole support of the motor in the housing, comprisingpillows of resilient insulating material engaging the inner surface of sections of the motor housing and contacting directl with the motor frame, and a resilient s eeve engaging the interior of the sections ofthe housing and contacting with the spindle bearin of the motor, characterized in that the pil ows and sleeve are compressed direct- 1 against the motor to grip the same when t e two sections of the housing are clamped together.

4. In an electrical vacuum cleaner, the combination according to claim 3, in which the motor is 4formed with recesses in the field structure and the pillows engage directly with these recesses.

Signed at Sydney this third day of September A. D. 1929.

ARTHUR TOWNSEND. 

